Suction cleaner



May 28, 1935. w. H. KITTO SUCTION CLEANER Filed Jan. :51. 1934 ATTORNEYPatented May 28, 1935 UNITED STATES SUCTION CLEANER William H. Kitto,Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application January 31, 1934, Serial No. In GreatBritain January 5, 1934 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general andparticularly to a new and improved suction cleaner constructionembodying floor-lighting means. More specifically the inventioncomprises the provision of a suction cleaner construction in which thefloor-lighting means are positioned and carried in a new and novelmanner.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improvedsuction cleaner construction. It is a further object to provide, in asuction cleaner, a new and improved construction embodyingfloor-lighting means. Still another object is the provision ofcombination motor and floor-lighting means in which the latter ispositioned substantially within the confines of the cleaner motor and isremovable as a unit with a part thereof. These and other more specificobjects will appear upon reading the following specification and claimsand upon con sidering in connection therewith the attached drawing towhich they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which the same reference characterrefers to like parts in the various views:

Figure 1 is a side view of a modern suction cleaner embodyingfioor-lighting means con- :tructed in accordance with the presentinvenion.

Figure 2 is a partial section thru the cleaner motor showing thelighting means embodied therein;

Figure 3 is a section upon the line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section upon the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical section thru the motor casing cap showing thelighting means partially removed;

Figure 6 is a section upon the line 6-6 of Figure 2;

Figure '7 is a section upon the line 1-4 of Figure 6, and shows theseparable contacts;

Figure 8 is a section upon the line 88 of Figure '7.

It has been discovered that the usefulness of a suction cleaner ismaterially increased by the provision of a floor-illuminating lightcarried by the cleaner. Such means should be so positioned relative tothe machine that it directs light rays to the surface coveringundergoing cleaning immediately forward thereof. The mounting of theheadlight or fioor-illuminator upon the machine must be such that theover-all height of the cleaner is notmaterially increased; and shouldpreferably be so arranged that the light cannot be injured by contactwith articles of furniture etc. In the suction cleaner constructed inaccordancewith the present invention the light has been mountedcompletely within the normal RElSSU (01. 240-2) contour of the motor andis completely protected. This result has been obtained in a relativelysimple and inexpensive manner yet one which produces a finished productwhich is highly desirable in appearance and functional operation.

Referring again to the drawing and Figure l in particular the referencecharacter I indicates the cleaner nozzle, 2 the fan chamber and 3 theexhaust outlet. A dustbag 4 is removably secured by means 5 to'theoutlet 3, as in the usual cleaner construction. The parts I, 2 and 3form what is usually known as the main casing of the machine and may bemade in a single casting or may be assembled, as desired. Front and rearsupporting wheels 6 and l movably support the main casing while theprovison of a pivot handle 8 makes possible the convenient manipulationof the machine by the operator.

Within the fan chamber 2 is rotatably mounted the suction-creating fan 9which is carried by the lower end of the cleaner motor which is itselfcarried by the casing and positioned immediately above the fan chamber.The motor comprises a rigid frame, the lower portion IU of which iscylindrical in shape and also serves as a part of the motor casing, itbeing secured to the top of the chamber 2 by screws, one of which isindicated by the reference character H.

The motor frame above the cylindrical casing portion l0 comprises spacedarms I2, l2 which extend upwardly and then inwardly to form a bearingseat [3 within which is removably positioned a ball-bearing M. The arm[2 at the front side of the motor extends inwardly immediately above thecylindrical casing portion until it closely approaches the armature l5and its commutator Hi. It then extends upwardly to the bearing s'eat l3.This arm provides, in effect, an outwardly facing shelf. The armature I5of the motor, including its commutator I6, is rotatably mounted in thebearing l4 with the shaft l1 extended therein. The stationary fieldportions of the motor may be suitably mounted in or on the cylindricalportion ll] of the frame.

The casing of the motor is completed by a removable cap member l8 whichseats on the portion l0 and is removably secured thereto by means ofscrews which extend through the top of the cap into certain of the arms12 of the frame. One of these retaining screws is indicated in Figure 1by the reference character IS. The forward portion of cap I8 is provided"with an opening 20, the walls of the cap surround the opening extendingto a slightly greater diameter than the remainder of the cap forpurposes of appearance, there being provided is removably I mounted inthe cap I8 immediately behind the openingv 20. These means comprise asheet metal frame 22, which .is shaped as, and serves as, a reflector.The top of reflector 22 is adapted to contact the top of cap I8 whileits lowermost portion, defined by a curved wall 23, is adapted to layagainst the inner surface of cap I8 below opening 20. A leaf spring 24is carried by. the cap I8 and contacts the back of reflector 22 urgingit toward the opening 20. An integral inner shoulder 25 on cap I8 limitsthe movement of the upper part of reflector 22 and the curved wall 23contacting with the cap below the opening performs a similar functionfor the lower part thereof. Inwardly extending pins 26 on the capcooperate with openings 21 in the portion 23 of reflector 22 and preventunintended downward displacement of that member.

A lamp-carrying socket 28 of insulating material is carried at one endof reflector 22, and is provided with contacts 29, 29 to whichourrent-carrying leads 30, 30 attach. The lamp bulb removably seats onthe socket and is indicated by the reference character 3|.

The leads 30, 30 extend from the bulb socket to contacts 32, 32, one ofthe leads first passing through a manually operable switch 34 carried bythe cap I8. The contacts 32, 32 are carried by an insulating body 33which is mounted upon the cap I8 and is removable therewith. When thecap is in place the con-' .tacts 32, 32 contact the cooperating contacts35, 35 carried by an insulating body 36 upon the casing portion I II.Leads 31, 31, of which one is shown in Figure 7, connect the contacts35,

35 to the electrical circuit of the motor, the motor itself beingsupplied with current by conductors carried by the conduit 38 whichextends down the cleaner handle and enters the motor in which the dirtflnder constructed in accordance with the present invention isincorporated, the machine may be operated with or without the lightingmeans. If the operator desires the benefit of the light it is onlynecessary to close the manually operable switch 34 which thereuponthrows the circuit of the lighting means into the electrical circuit ofthe motor. The exact electrical connection of the lighting circuit tothe motor circuit is not of the essence of this invention. If for anyreason the light fails, or if it is-desired to obtain admission to themotor, it is only necessary-to remove the casing portion I8, thelighting circuit and all of its connections coming away. from the motorproper with the cap portion I8, the contacts 32, 3.2 and 35, 35separating and breaking the circuit. With the cap I8 removed from themotor proper in order to remove the light from the cap it is onlynecessary to flex the spring 34 rearwardly to the dotted line positionshown in Figure 5. The reflector 22 together with socket and bulb isthen easily disengaged in an obvious manner after which the light can beremoved from its socket. lighting unit is precisely the reverseoperation.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, a motor including a casing portion, a frameportion extending rigidly at the side of said casing portion, an

Replacing the armature rotatably supporting said frame portion, aremovable casing portion enclosing said frame portion and provided withan opening on one side, a light reflector, socket, and bulb carried bysaid removable casing portion adjacent said opening and within thenormal periphery of said casing portion, and current-carrying meansconnecting said socket with a source of electric current.

2. In a suction cleaner, a motor including a rotatable armature having areduced diameter at one of its ends, a frame supporting said armature, acasing enclosing said frame and armature and having an opening, a spacebeing provided between said casing and the part of said armature ofreduced diameter, a lighting unit mounted on said casing facing saidopening and positioned in said space, and ourrent-carrying meansconnecting said unit to a source of current.

3. In a suction cleaner, a vertical axis motor including a rotatablearmature and a frame therefore, a portion of said frame extendedinwardly toward the axis of armature rotationat one end of .saidarmature, a casing member overlying said frame and provided with anopening facing the inwardly extended portion of said frame, a reflectormounted on said casing adjacent said opening, alight mounted atsaidreflector, said casing, reflector and light being removable as aunit from said frame.

4. The construction defln'ed in claim 3 wherein said light is mounted onsaid reflector and is removable therefrom as a unit. T

5. In a suction cleaner, a frame including a hollow cylindrical portionand arms extending from circumferentially spaced points on saidcylindrical portion and converging at a central .point at one endthereof, a bearing at said central portion, an armature rotatablymounted in said bearing and extended through said cylindrical portion,one of said arms being curved to extend toward the axis of rotationbetween said central point and said cylindrical portion to form anoutwardly facing shelf, a removable casing enclosing'said arms andhaving an opening adjacent said shelf, a lighting unit includingreflector, socket and bulb carried in said casing adjacent said opening,and means connecting said light to a source of electric current.

6. In a suction cleaner motor,- a rotatable armature including acommutator of smaller diameter than the central part .of said armatureand positioned at one end thereof, means rotatably supporting saidarmature including a bearing outside said commutator and a frame, saidframe being formed to provide a recess adjacent said commutator, acasing member enclosing a part of said motor including said commutatorand provided with an opening adjacent said recess, a light carried bysaid casing and positionedin said recess with said casing member inplace, and current-conducting means connecting said lightto a source ofcurrent.

7. The construction defined in claim 6 charac- .terized by the fact thatsaid current conducting means connect to contacts carried, by saidcasing member which are adapted to contact suitable contacts mounted onsaid frame.

8. The construction defined in claim 6 characterized by the fact that amanually operable switch is carried by said casing member and isconnected in the circuit of said light.

